IN THE OFF SEASON YOU HAVE RECRUITED 8 PLAYERS, WHAT ARE YOU HOPES FOR THEM?

For their contributions individually and collectively to improve our performance in both competitions for the seasons ahead.

YOU HAVE RECRUITED QUITE A FEW YOUNG PLAYERS: ANDY BRACEK, SIMON GRIX, CHRIS BRIDGE AND NICKY ROYLE AND UPGRADED TWO: STEVE PICKERSGILL AND PHIL BERRY. WHAT IS YOUR REASONING BEHIND THEIR SIGNING?

To fill the void of players under the age of 21 who can positively contribute to the first team effort. The squad I inherited had too many older players who could not get a weekly run because of the age restrictions in the U21 competition. The entire squad can now have the facility to get match fit and ready when the time comes.

The Halliwell Jones Stadium, home to Warrington Wolves will be a No Smoking venue from 1st January 2006; in readiness for Super League XI season. This move is part of the club's Award winning Community Programme to improve knowledge of health and wellbeing and also comes after requests from fans to consider the option to improve their enjoyment of the sport in a smoke free environment.

The fans of Warrington Wolves started a campaign via the club's website forum to draw attention to the fact that they disliked smoking at the stadium and that it ruined their enjoyment of coming to the stadium. As a result of this campaign the Wolves issued a questionnaire to the fans at the end of Tetley's Super League IX asking for their view on The Halliwell Jones Stadium becoming a No Smoking environment. An overwhelming 63% of the 8,294 returned questionnaires wanted to see the stadium become a No Smoking zone.

The club is continually striving to improve the matchday enjoyment for the fans and as a result will be introducing a complete ban on smoking in all areas of The Halliwell Jones Stadium for the start of the Super League XI, giving fans therefore a season's notice on change. The importance of health is at the forefront of the Wolves in 2005 with the opening of the new NHS/PCT Health Centre in the Martin Dawes Stand.

After much research into the subject of No Smoking and the effects of passive smoking, the club feels that the health of its fans to be very important, given the effects of passive smoking which includes eye irritation, headache, cough, sore throat, dizziness and nausea. These unpleasant side effects ruin many fans enjoyment when attending a game and with the increasing number of children coming to games the club has decided to act now rather than wait for the results of the government's White Paper on Public Health to become legislation at the end of 2008.

Chief Executive Andy Gatcliffe commented on the pioneering move, "The Board of Directors are extremely eager to improve the matchday environment and whilst it is not easy to please every fan on this issue the health of all of our fans has to be our utmost priority."